After a few informal games of field hockey with your friends, you’ve discovered that you enjoy this sport quite a lot. You have a good enough grasp of the rules that you’re thinking of trying out for a team. That will require you to stock up on equipment. Is this going to be costly?
Playing field hockey requires a variety of equipment, everything from cleats to cones, face masks, elbow protectors, and even field hockey socks. Altogether, you’ll spend around $450 on this equipment.
In this extensive guide, we’ll evaluate each piece of required field hockey equipment and its average cost. Then we’ll tally everything up to determine whether getting into field hockey is a pricy sport. You won’t want to miss it!
How Much Does Field Hockey Equipment Cost? An Item-by-Item Breakdown
Shin Guards
Like most games of hockey, when playing field hockey, the goal is to keep the ball nearer the ground. You don’t want to get hit in the shin by a field hockey stick without protection either. That’s why shin guards, also known as shin pads, are so integral.
The standard price for a pair of shin guards is around $30.
Neck Guard
A neck guard might seem like a strange accessory for any sport, but it’s always better to be safe than sorry. The guard is cushioned and/or padded to safeguard your collar bone and throat. If a rogue field hockey ball ever goes flying, you won’t have to worry about serious tracheal damage.
Low-cost neck guards start as low as $20, but we’d recommend investing in higher-quality, well-padded ones for around $40.
Mouthguard
Once you try out for a field hockey team, any coach who’s worth their salt will require that all players wear a mouthguard when on the field. For hygiene reasons, you’ll be expected to provide your own mouthguard.
A quality mouthguard that’s made of rubber and is thicker for optimal protection will cost around $25.
Leg Guards
Isn’t a set of leg guards rendered redundant since you have shin guards? Not exactly. Shin guards are for protecting your shins whereas leg guards cover your knees and upper legs. You should have both if you want to keep your legs protected from top to bottom.
Leg guards cost about the same as a pair of shin guards, about $30 for two.
Hockey Tape
If you read our post on taping ball hockey sticks, then you’ll recall that we recommended hockey tape for the stick. Yes, ball hockey and field hockey are two different sports, but hockey tape is applicable for both.
Fortunately, hockey tape is about as cheap as it gets, costing $4 to $6 per roll.
Hockey Goggles
Hockey goggles are not goggles in the traditional sense. They don’t feature lenses, for one. The goggles have a plastic or PVC frame that fits around your head like goggles do. Then the part that covers your eyes is a series of bars that make it harder for a field hockey ball to hit you in the face.
The average cost for a pair of hockey goggles is $55, but some are upwards of $80.
Field Hockey Stick
Here’s one of the most important pieces of equipment you’ll buy as a field hockey player: your hockey stick. Some coaches will provide a stick to you while others will tell you to go out and buy your own.
If you’re on a tight budget, you can find a decent field hockey stick for as little as $50. The quality sticks cost around $200 or $300.
Stick Bag
To prolong the life of your shiny new field hockey stick, we recommend buying a stick bag while you’re shopping for the rest of your equipment. You need a bag that fits the size of your stick, so focus on that more than the price.
That said, field hockey bags cost on average around $30, so this addition won’t set you back all that much.
Hockey Socks
Yes, that’s right, you need hockey socks. How are these different from your typical pair of socks? Hockey socks are tall, cutting off below your knees. They’re designed for keeping your shin guards secure so you don’t have to adjust them the whole game.
A pair of hockey socks will cost about $13, but you might want to buy a couple of pairs at a time, as you will wear yours down throughout the season.
Hockey Face Mask
In lieu of hockey goggles, you should slip on a face mask. These molded masks are made of plastic and feature large breathing holes throughout, especially around the eyes and nose. Thick elastic straps on the back let you adjust the fit and keep your mask secure.
This is one piece of equipment not to skimp on. You might pay upwards of $80 for a hockey face mask.
Eye Black
Have you ever wondered why many athletes use eye black? It has a functional purpose. Eye black safeguards your eyes from the sun. That eye black looks cool is just an added bonus.
You can buy a stick of eye black for $5.
Elbow Protectors
Cushioned elbow protectors are a must when playing field hockey. Although it’s not very likely that the ball will be played at elbow height all that often, you always need to be ready for those worst-case scenarios.
A set of elbow protectors costs $35 on average.
Hockey Cones
Becoming a good hockey player doesn’t happen through sheer luck, but through ability, skill, and preparedness. When off the field, it helps to practice using field hockey cones. You can finesse your stickhandling, direction changing, and other maneuvering with cones.
Hockey cones are available several to a set for as little as $10.
Hockey Cleats
Nope, cleats aren’t only for soccer! If you have a pair of cleats already, you’ll need to buy different ones for field hockey. Hockey cleats feature longer studs to keep your grip secure as you run across the grassy field.
You might spend around $75 for hockey cleats.
Field Hockey Balls
Last but certainly not least, you need a ball for playing field hockey. When in a team environment, you likely won’t have to provide your own ball, but it’s good to have a few balls ready for practicing in your yard.
Field hockey balls retail for around $10.
The Overall Price to Play Field Hockey – More or Less Expensive Than Other Sports?
Okay, so if we add up everything listed above (and use the highest prices for the equipment from our cost estimates), we get a grand total of $459. Yes, that’s it! If you thought the cost of field hockey equipment would be closer to $700 or even $1,000, this is likely a huge relief.
Is playing field hockey costlier than other sports? To answer that question, we assessed the equipment required to partake in some of the most popular sports around.
Football
In football, a player will wear more protective equipment than they do when playing field hockey. Since football players are often slamming themselves into their opponents and taking hard hits on the ground, they need the most premium equipment they can get their hands on.
Here’s a breakdown of football equipment pricing:
- Footballs: $80 each
- Splash guards: up to $25
- Helmet decals: up to $10
- Backplate: up to $25
- Rib cage protector: up to $45
- Football jersey: $85
- Football pants: $30
- Mouthpiece: $25
- Football cleats: up to $90
- Kneepads: $4
- Padded girdle: $40
- Shoulder pads: up to $185
- Helmet: $130
Total: $774 (more expensive than field hockey equipment)
Soccer
The beloved sport that is soccer doesn’t demand as much protective equipment, so let’s see if you can cut down on the costs for your equipment. Here’s a list:
- Wrap and tape: $4
- Soccer ball: $140
- Goal cones: $5
- Goalie glove: $40
- Soccer socks: $15
- Captain’s band: $7
- Soccer jersey: $30
- Soccer shorts: $25
- Ball backpack: $45
- Shin guards: $40
Total: $351 (less expensive than field hockey equipment)
Ice Hockey
Field hockey and ice hockey have some critical differences between them. For instance, when playing ice hockey, you’re on the ice, which is a more unforgiving surface than a grassy field. You’ll need to wear more protective equipment.
A hard puck can also be more damaging than a field hockey ball, which again necessitates extra equipment that ice hockey players wear. Let’s take a closer look at that equipment and what it costs:
- Ice hockey stick: up to $200
- Hockey helmet: $200
- Hockey gloves: $130
- Elbow pads: $70
- Hockey shoulder pads: $130
- Hockey pants: $150
- Shin guards: $80
- Hockey skates: $400
- Mouthguard: $25
- Hockey wax: $5
- Hockey laces: $5
- Hockey socks: $10
Total: $1,405 (more expensive than field hockey equipment)
Baseball
If baseball is more your game, you need standard protective equipment and specialty cleats, not to mention a spiffy new uniform. Here are the costs to play baseball:
- Batting gloves: $30 to $90
- Baseball pants: $30 to $60
- Baseball cleats: $40 to $90
- Baseball hat: $27
- Protective cup: $15
- Catcher’s gear: $300
- Batting helmet: $65
- Baseballs: $9 each
- Baseball bat: $250 to $350
- Baseball glove: $250
Total: $1,256 (more expensive than field hockey equipment)
Basketball
Last but certainly not least is basketball. Protective equipment here is few and far between, but some of the gear can be quite costly. Let’s take a closer look:
- Wristbands: $15
- Basketball jersey: $50 to $100
- Headbands: $10
- Basketball socks: $15
- Basketball shoes: $130
- Basketball shorts: $45 to $100
Total: $370 (less expensive than field hockey equipment)
Final Thoughts
Field hockey equipment costs about $450 if you buy premium items. Compared to other sports, getting into field hockey is not too harsh on your wallet. We hope this article inspired you to start playing more field hockey!